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The dangers of sending text messages while driving has quickly become one of international concern in recent years, as smart phone use has intertwined itself with our daily lives. The U.S. Government has addressed the issue, and the United Nations has put out the call to its employees banning them from the activity, as the organization pushes a global effort to eliminate the practice.
But even if you can pry all of the Blackberries and iPhones away from drivers , there are plenty of other things that they occupy their time with when they should have their hands at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions with their eyes on the road. Worse, some of them are better left for behind closed doors that don’t have roll-down windows on them.
According to a scientific survey commissioned by hands-free headset maker Jabra, while 28 percent of respondents in six countries including the United States say that they’ve texted behind the wheel, 72 percent eat or drink regularly, and 35 percent admit to getting dressed or undressed. Although no connection is made, that last point may be related to the fact that 29 percent have kissed while driving and more than half that, fully 15 percent, have engaged in sexual intercourse or another sexual act. Freshening up by styling hair or applying makeup is done by 23 percent and 13 percent of those surveyed.
Less people read actual newspapers and magazines than e-mails, but the numbers are still high, 10 percent and 12 percent, respectively. It’s almost refreshing to hear that only 5 percent of drivers sneak in a video game while driving. Perhaps yelling at other drivers – which 63 percent of us say we do – is enough excitement for the commute home.